1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to digital audio and video technologies. More particularly, the preferred embodiments are directed to retrieving digital audio and video files in encoded formats. More particularly still, the preferred embodiments are directed to retrieving digital audio and video files in encoded format over the internet where the storage media content is identified using a unique identifier attached to the media, such as a bar code.
2. Background of the Invention
With the increasing popularity of digitally based audio and video equipment, it is common for consumers to read and change the format of their audio and visual performances for playback on different devices. For example, it is common for consumers owning audio compact disks (CDs) to read the songs from the CD, modify the file format, and store the modified file on a non-CD device for playback, such as an MP3 player.
However, converting audio and video files from one format to another can be very time consuming. An exemplary case is a consumer wishing to convert the songs on an audio CD to an MP3 format. This conversion typically involves the consumer placing the CD into a CD reader in either a computer or a dedicated hardware device. The hardware device reads the content from the CD, and converts the content to a “WAV” format file. Thereafter, the “WAV” format file is converted to the MP3 format. Once this operation is complete, the consumer must be present to remove the CD from the hardware device. Depending upon the speed of the processor of the consumer's hardware device, it may take several minutes to convert each audio track on a CD to an MP3 format. If the CD contains 20 songs, the time to convert could easily exceed an hour or more, thus requiring the consumer's presence at least at the beginning and end of that hour time frame. Moreover, conversion of a video in digital versatile disk (DVD) format to a form suitable for playback on a computer-type device may take many hours, again depending upon the speed of the processor of the consumer's hardware device.
Thus, what is needed in the art is a method, and related hardware, to ease the consumer's burden in the conversion or encoding process.